Gould and Denning Named 2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars

April 11, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – UVA women’s swimming senior Audrey Gould (Bethesda, Md.) and men’s swimming senior John Denning (Chesapeake, Va.) were named 2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars.

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine sponsors the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars Awards to honor undergraduates students who have excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. In addition to their athletic ability and academic performance (3.2 cumulative GPA or higher), Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars demonstrate a commitment to community service and student leadership.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Program a luncheon was held on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at the University of Richmond to inspire and give practical direction about attaining outstanding academic and athletic records simultaneously. The event focused on achievement and academic excellence in student-athletes and was sponsored by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, The NCAA Office of Inclusion, and the Office of the President at the University of Richmond. Retired astronaut and former NFL player Leland Melvin delivered the keynote address.

In 1992, the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Program was instituted by Black Issues In Higher Education (now Diverse: Issues In Higher Education) magazine to rectify this misperception and honor undergraduate students of color who exemplify the standards set by former tennis great Arthur Ashe, Jr.

Other Virginia student-athletes receiving the honor were Jasmine Burton (volleyball), Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (men’s tennis), Micah Kiser (football) and Breyana Mason (women’s basketball).